Hazardous Weather Outlook Issued For Tampa Bay Area

TAMPA, FL — Tampa Bay area residents and visitors may want to batten down the hatches and take care on local waters over the next few days. The National Weather Service says a weakening cold front moving into the region will shake things up a bit with the potential for waterspout development and “rounds of showers and thunderstorms” likely over the next few days.

Saturday is expected to bring a 30 percent chance of scattered storms into the region during the daytime hours. A high around 90 is expected with mostly cloudy conditions likely in the early overnight hours. Conditions are forecast to change, however, later in the evening when storm chances move back in.

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As the front’s effects begin to be felt, forecasters say “atmospheric conditions will be favorable for waterspout development.” In Saturday’s Hazardous Weather Outlook report, the service warned mariners to be on the lookout for waterspouts starting Saturday. Conditions favorable for waterspout development are expected to stick around through mid-week, the service noted.

The cold front’s effects are expected to be felt quite readily on Sunday. Forecasters say there’s a 70 percent chance for showers and thunderstorms across the region before 11 a.m. The good news is that the cold front is anticipated to bring highs across down into the upper 80s. Storm chances move back in during the afternoon and evening hours. Forecasters expect the overnight low to drop into the upper 70s.

The weather service is warning that heavy rainfall is likely throughout the region, along with chances for strong gusty winds and frequent lightning, as the front makes its way through. Forecasters say strong chances for storms and highs only in the 80s are likely to linger through mid-week. Estimated rainfall in the Tampa Bay area through 8 a.m. Thursday runs between 2 and 5 inches.

A more typical pattern of scattered afternoon and evening storms is expected to return later in the week once the cold front moves in and then drifts “back north."

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